Printing point indicator



Patented Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING POINT INDICATOR Lyle A. Dunstan, Portland, Oreg. Application January 9, 1942, Serial No. 426,231

(c1. sai-24) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a, printing point indicator which is designed to provide a light image that is directed at a printing point for the purposes of indicating visually such printing points.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in a typewriter having a fixed printing point. Often it is desired by an operator of such a machine to have the printing point delineated for the purposes of making corrections to typewritten work,

for making insertions in a work sheet introduced in such a machine, and for manyl other usefu purposes.

It will be understood, of course, that the `use of my invention is not restricted to typewriters and that it is my specific intention to avoid such a limitation in the concept of the use of my invention. I shall describe my invention as though used with a typewriter because such a mechanism presents problems that are met and solved by my invention.

It often occurs in typewriting that corrections be made in the work being done or that insertions be made at a specific point upon the Work sheet. The bounds of the printing point Yare not customarily delineated in such a typewriter except within the judgment of the operator, and when it is necessary to print a character within a specic space, unless the operator exercises the highest degree of skill, it is not always p'ossible to place such character at the desired point.

It is an important object of my invention to y place, at a printing point, a. light image delineating that point.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for placing a light image at a printing point and adapted to focus that light image to clearly delineate said space.

` Another object of my invention relates to the provision 0f a printing point indicator which is enclosed in a unitary housing and adapted for ready attachment to any suitable mounting means for use, and in which kthe operating elements are entirely contained.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a housing having an internal light source for providing a beam of light, said housing also having means for impressing an image upon the beam of light and means for bending the beam of light to direct it in a desired manner.

Still another object of my invention relates to the provision in a printing point indicator that is enclosed in a housing, including means for focusing a light image pressed upon a beam of light to clearly denne or delineate a printing point.

More specifically, my invention lies in the provaxial indexed rotation of the platen. tomary for an inked ribbon I4, fed from spools vision of a housing having a light source capable of producing av beam of light in said housing and means for impressing an image on said beam rof light, said printing point` indicator being adapted to focus such an image and tov align it properly with relation to theprinting point for the purposes of clearly defining that printing point.

Other'objects and advantages of the invention willA be more apparent during the course of a reading of the following specification. It will be understood' that the showing of my invention in the accompanying drawing and the following description is for the purpose of exemplifying the invention, andthat changes and alterations in the general varrangement of parts may be made Within the scopefof the subjoined claim.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a schematic showing of my printing point indicator as associated with typewriting mechanism and useful for indicating the printing point thereof, y y

Figure v2v is a longitudinal sectional View through one form of my printing point'indicator, v.Figure 3 illustrates means rfor bending a beam of light, having a light image impressed thereon, and means for adjusting said bending moment, 4 L' Figure 4 is a crosssectional View' taken along line 4 4 of Figure 2, illustrating in face view means for impressing an image upon a light beam, and

Figure 5 is a modified form of my printing point indicator, designed and adapted for specific installation.

chine platen having end operating handles I! and I2. It is understood that such a platen is axially rotated and that sheet material is presented to the printing point of such a machine by It is cussuch as l5 and I6,to be conveyed or led to the printing point of the machine as indicated by the numeral H. The printing members of such a machine will strike the inked ribbon and produce an impression upon the sheet material presented by the platen at a fixed printing point in the machine.

For indicating and delineating this printing point, I employ a light source 2@ to which current may be supplied by means of a cord 2 l A beam of light 22 emanating from that source passes through object means such as disc 23 and an image of the nature shown in Figure 4 is impressed upon that light beam.l To facilitate and even the light beam a diiusing disk is indicated at 24. v

The numeral 25 designates a lens system in the path ofthe light beam and the light |bending means 26, which may or may not be employed depending upon the manner in which my printing point indicator, is mounted in the path of the beam.

These elementszare enclosed 'iwith'inia housing 2l having a side aperture 28, so that the light image carried by the beam may be directed -at the printing point of a mechanism such as a typewriter in which is an ideal pointzio'fluse ruff-my invention.

Referring now to Figure 2, I show an openended cy1indrical housing 301fhavingia'fsidesaperture 3|. In one end of the housing a cup 32..is provided with the means 20 serving as 4a light source. .Asis :shown in "Eigure .2, the diffusing memberk'andtthe objectzdiscS areiirnounted in lthe opensend fof the zcup. .-It-awicllfebe :apparent ith atthe icupiiszadaptejd: forilong-itudnalmndaxial movement withv relation itothe shousing .130 .for

a'purposeater'ltozhetdescribed A .second icup 34 rhavmg fa :.fside saperture `3'5 fadapted'itorregister .with'thefiaperture I Jof the .'housings 2 also longitudinally s: and `:axially imovyfable :in ithe :ctl'i'er:grid-scffthev rhiousin'g. `The light :bendingzmeansl'Scrismounted :in .z'cup' 34=asiisra1so .the lensfsystemsZ 'ona typewritingnmachine, #land ffforflthe *purposes of adjustment, fcups F32 Mand 'in Tmay be moved toward or away from eah'ftherfarrd allsov'rotated axially-.ofthehousingitofalignalight imagefat a ilesired'pointf-asiwellfastoiiocusfthatFim'age.

Under-'certaincircumstances, Ait has been *found advisable to provide means for altering'the'e'angle 'of lbend rimparted "-'to Athe ."*image l"carryl'g light beam. i-In=such an instance'aecup "lll hasA the light bending-"member 26 mountedtherin 'oni-aspring bladefM -Land'faoscrew 42, havingfaihanfd knob J43, presses against `the `"blade H "and W'ill serve 'to change the angle of the reflector member'f.

In the showing of Figure 5 the housing 5i! has open ends that are disposed at an angle to each other, preferably in a right angular manner. The reflector member 5I is positioned at the approximate point of joinder of the axis of the two legs of the housing. In one leg of the housing the lens system 52 is mounted and in the other leg of the housing image producing member 53 and the diffusing member 54 may be mounted. A cup.55 adapted .by rneansof .a pivot `loolt 56 for ejoindertoa suitable mount'encircled .by a hoop 5l and contains the light source means 58. The

housing 50 is mounted on the member 55 for swiveling movement to change the direction of the'light'means emanating therefrom.

In .certain ...forms of the invention it is desirable to employ a light bulb of relatively low wattageorlow voltage or both. When the device is to be energized from a conventional 11G-volt line, it is possible to reduce the voltage by using .alinezfresistance.on one 'of the leads. Aswitch yis also ,fshowniat'l .to permit `the .light being ignited at the will oitheioperator.

fAn extremely .convenient feature of .the Adevices of the sdrawing, rather than fas "printingfpoint indicators, vvis :the'qarovison of isupplemental il- `lun'iination for `:attypist 'Where itzis desire'd 'to in- Vcreasefvisihility :fof the printed characters ias they .are'madetupon' the paper.

,'zclaim'z fAprini-,ing `point indicator 'comprising a cylindrical housing having a side aperture, -a cup in :one fend :of said :housing zadapted 'to '-be moved zin longitudinal and fa'xial relation Sthereto, Aa

yprovided with means forb'endingsai'd light'beam to/'direct it'out ftheside aperture of the housy ing, 'and means for vfocusing saidli'ght'image.

ISYEE ADUNST'AN. 

